Surface condenser



Mm@ d 15739057 l D. WTR. MRG-AN SURFACE GONDENSBR original Filed June s, 1921.

ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 23, 1926,

unirse stares 0F SWARTHMORE, PENESYIQVANIA, ASSIGrNOR"lOjWES'JJINCvr-` navrn w. n; MORGAN,

raises? PATENT. oFFi-cs.;

SYLVANIA.

SURFACE CONDENSER.

Application To all 107mm t mcm/ concern:

Be it lniown that I, D -Wro XV. It. MORGAN, a citizen oi the United States, ,and a resident of Swarthmore, in the county otDelaware and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Surface f Condensers, of which the 4following is aspecitication.

"1i/ ly invention relates to surface condensers, and more particularly to horizontal tube condensers of the radial flow type, and it has Vjor `an object the provision of ,an apparatus of the character designated which shall be simple in construction and which shall deliver non-condensable gases to a withdrawal mechanism ata low temperature and specific volume. These and other objects, which will be made manifest throughout the description of my invention, may be attained by an apparatus illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a condenser embodying my invention taken on line 1-1 of Figure 2t-he cooling tubes being omitted t0 show more clearly the air oflitale apparatus;V Figure 2 vis a transverse sectional view thereof taken on line 22 of lFigure 1; and Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view of a water box taken on line 3-'3 of Figure 1.

In a radial flow condenser", as commo-nly constructed, a cylindrical nest of cooling tubes is arranged concentrically of and spaced from the vloingitudinally extending wall or" the condenser shell in such a manner that steam, or other fluid to be condensed, may enter the tube nest at substantially any point in its perimeter'. The fiow of steam is radial through the tube Anest and toward a centrally located off-take. Normally, the condensable portions or the steam are for the most part separated from the non-condensable gases upon reaching the oli-take. The non-condensable gases, together with some uncondensed vapors, hereinafter termed air for brevity and convenience for description,are withdrawn through the centrally disposedot-talre by means of an air 'pump of suitable construction. This type of condenser has a larger condensation capacity than eeudensers ot equal size et the usual filed .Tune 1921, Serial No. 474,854. Renewed February 4, 1928.

construction, due to the large entrance area for the steam presented by the eccentrieally arranged tube n'est and `the short path of travel through the cooling` tubes. Y

It is the purpose ot my present invention to improve the efficiency of this type oie condenser by reducing the amount of energy required to withdraw the air from the condenser. 'This result is attained by provide ing means tor reducing` the .speeiic volume of air being withdrawn prior to `its delivery to the air pump. -is illustrated, I provide a V-shaped chamber disposed in a lower cen-y tral Zone of the tube nest, and `having an open top disposed well within the -nest of tubes for admission of air from the tube nest. Some of thecooling tubes are .embraced within the Walls of the V-shaped chamber and serve to reduce the temperature and the specific volume of the air passing therethrough. The air passes ,downwardly through the chamber in a path of decrease ing iiow area and is discharged without the condenser in any suitable manner.

lReferring to the drawingsl for a fuller understanding of my invention, I indicate` a co-ndenser at having a shell 11,-a steam inlet 12, and condensate outlet means 13.. A cylindrical nest o-f'tubes 14 ,is so located within the shell that there is an adequate steam space between the tubes Aand the longitudinally extending walls of the shell 11, which space communicates with the inlet 12 and almost entirely surrounds the nest oit tubes.

As is customary in surface condenser construction, water boxes 16 are bolted or otherwise secured to the shell 11, tube plates 17 being held-between the. anges on the water boxes and cooperating flanges of the shell. The tubes 111: are secured in the tube plates 17 and open into the water lboxes 16 in the usualA manner. i

Within the lower portion of the tube nest, I provide a cooling chamber 18 of V-shaped cross-sectional conformatiointhe side walls 19, 20 et which extend the full length of the condenser' shell and are preferably secured to the tube plates 17 by means Yotlanges 21. The open top 22 of theV-shaped cooling wtbn die nest. uit

chamber is disposed.

tubes for the purpose of securing a uniform flow of steam radially throughout the tube nest. A root member 23 extends over and is spaced above the opening 22 and may preferably be secured to the tube plates 17 `by means ot flanges The air may be withdrawn `from the V- shaped cooling chamber in any convenient manner. As illustrated, the walls 19, 2O of the chamber 18, converging toward their lower edges, are secured throughout their length to a conduit 25 in such a manner that an open communication is provided between thevchamber 18 and the conduit 25. rlihe conduit 25, as shown, entends outufardly through one ot' the water boxes 16 to a suitable air withdrawal mechanism (not shown). It will be understood trat the construction ot the conduit 25 and its specitio relation to the chamber 18, above described, is merely illustrative and that the air, or non-condensable gases, may be removed 1from the chamber 18 in any suitable manner, as through the hot well or even through the bottom ot the condenser.

Any suitable means may be provided 'or removing the liquid of condensation which may collect in the discharge conduit ln the drawing I have shown a manometric tube 26 which delivers the liquid collected in the conduit 25 into the hot well 13 of the condenser. The water of condensation accumulating in the hot well 13 is withdrawn in the usual manner through a port 27.

Having described the arrangement of an apparatus embodying my invention,` the operation thereof is as follows: Steam from a turbine or other steam consumer, is admitted into the condenser through the inlet 12 and passes downwardly within the shell in such a manner as to substantially surround the nestot' cooling tubes. The cylindrical entrance area to the tube nest enables the condenser to handle large volumes oi' steam, and the steam passes radially through the nest of tubes toward the open top 22 or" the oit-taire chamber 18 which is disposed in a substantially cent 'al position within the tube nest. During the passage oit the steam through the cooling tubes, the con- -densable portions thereof are almost entirely converted into liquid so that the non-condensable portions having a small condensable fluid content enter the chamber 18 and pass downwardly therethrough over the cooling tubes. During the passage downwardly through the chamberl 18, the eondensable content of the air is 'further separated out andthe temperature and volume of the air materially reduced. The decrease in flow area presented by the converging walls ot' the chamber 18 corresponds substantially to the decrease in volume of the air passing therethrough and thus facilitates the withdrawal of the air. The root member 28 shields' the open end 22 ot' the chamber 18 and prevents the condensate raining down from the cooling tubes above trom entering the chamber.

The air at a lower temperature and volume is discharged through the b the chamber 18 into the conduit by which it is carried without thecondenser through the water box 16, where its temperature and eci tic s1 ecitic volume are further reduced, due to densate pump as will be understood by those slrilled in the art.

lllhile l have shown my invention in but one form, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not limited, but is susce )tible oi various other changes and LJ modifications without departing 1om the spirit thereof, Yand l desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be piacer there upon as are imposed by the prior art or as are speciiically set torth in the appended claims.

l/Vhat I claim is:

1. In a condenser, a shell having a steam inlet means and condensate outlet means, a nest of tubes within-the shell, a triangular section of said tubes partitioned from the remainder of the tubes, inlet means at a side of the triangular section so dispo-sed as to receive iuids which have traversed the said remainder of the tubes and an outlet means at the vertex of said triangular section opposite to said side, whereby the fluids traversing the triangular section ot tubes travel in a path of decreasing tion* area transverse to thetubes of the triangular section.

2. In a condenser, a shell having a steam inlet means and condensate outlet means, a nest of tubes withinl the shell, a V-shzued partition means embracing a triangular tion oi' said tubes, inlet means tor the triangular section oi tubes at the open end ot the tl-shaped partition and so disposed as to receive fluids which have trav sed the tubes not embraced by said partition, and an outlet means at the vertex ci: the triangular section ot tubes opposite to Vthe inlet means, whereby the fluids traversing the triangular section oi tubes travel in a path of decreasing flow area transverse to the tubes of the triangular' section.

3. In a condenser, a shell having a steam inlet means and condensate outlet means, a nest of tubes within the shell, a V-sbapcd partition means en'ibracing ra triangular llG tion of said tubes and havingthe open end ot the v disposed within the nest ot' tubes to serve as an inlet for 'fluids which have traversed the tubes not embraced by said partition, a baille disposed above said open end,

and an outlet means at the vertex oi the triangular section o't tubes opposite to the inlet means, whereby the fluids traversing the triangular section vof tubes travel in 'a path oi' decreasing flow area transverse to the tubes ot the triangular section.

l. In a condenser, the combination with a shell having kinlet means, condensate outletA means and a nest ot cooling tubes located within the shell and spaced therefrom so that steam may enter substantially any portion of the perimeter of the tube nest, oiu a non-condensable-gas off-take chamber extending the length oi' the shell and having an open top located well within the tube nest, a portion oi' the cooling tubes traversing said oil-take chamber, and a longitudinally extending conduit forming the bottom of the oit-take chamber .and jxtending outwardly of the condenser.

5. In a condenser, the combination with a shell having steam inlet means, condensate outlet means, a nest of cooling tubes located within the shell and lspaced therefrom, so that steam may enter substantially any portion of the perimeter of the tube nest, and water boxes at each end of the shell, ot a non-condensable-gas oil-take chamber extending the length of the shell and having an open top located well within the tube nest, a portion ot the cooling tubes traversing said oli-take chamber, and a longitudinally extending conduit forming the bottom ot' the oit-take chamber and extending outwardly through a water box of the condenser. y

6. In a condenser, the combination with a shell having a nest of cooling tubes therein spaced away from the shell to form a steam delivery space substantially surrounding the tube nest, of a non-condensable-gas off-talle extending into said tubenest and comprising a V-shaped chamber embracing a. portion of the cooling tubes, the open top of the V- shaped chamber being adjacent a central portion of the tube nest, and means associated with the closed edge of the V-shaped chamber for withdrawing the non-condensable gases from the condenser.

TQIn a condenser, the combination with a shell having a nest of cooling tubes therein spaced away from the shell to form a steam delivery space substantially surrounding the tube nest, of a non-condensable-gas off-take extending into said tube nest and comprising a V-shaped chamber embracing a portion of the cooling tubes, the open top of the V- shaped chamber being adjacenta central portion of the tube nest, a roof member above the open top of the V-shaped chamber Vand means associated with the closed edge` of the V-shaped chamber for withdrawing the non-eondensable gases from the condenser. Y

8. In a condenser, the combination with a shell having a nest oi" cooling tubes therein spaced away from the shell to torni a steam delivery space substantially surrounding the tube nest, of a non-condensable-gas oit-take chamber extending the length of the shell and having an open top located well within the tube nest and comprising a il-shaped chamber embracing a portion of the cooling tubes, and means associated with a portion ot said ofi-take chamber remote 'from said open top for withdra-iwing non-conde'nsable gases from the condenser.

9. In a condenser, the combination withy a shell having a nest oi" cooling tubes therein. spaced away from the shell to term a steam delivery space substantially surrounding the tube nest and water boxes at each end of the shell, of a non-condensable-gas ott-take extending into said tube nest and comprising a V -shaped chamber,embracing a portion oi the cooling tubes, the open top otl the V- shaped chamber being adjacent a central -portion of the tube nest, and a longitudinally extending conduit forming the bottom of, the off-take chamber and extending ontwardly through a water box of the condenser.

10. In a condenser, the combination with a shell deining a condensing chamber and a nest'ot cooling tubes traversing said chamber, of a il-shaped non-condensable-gas otttake chamber in the lower central portion ot the tube nest and having its open top well within the tube nest, a portion of the cooling tubes traversing the off-take chamber, and means associated with a portion of said ofitake chamber remote from said open top for withdrawing non-condensableI gases from the condsenser.

1l. In a condenser, the combination with a shell defining a condensing chamber and a nest of cooling tubes traversing said chamber, of a V-shaped non-condensable-gas offtalre chambe` in the lower central portion of the tube nest and having its open top well within the tube nest, a portion ot' said cooling tubes traversing the oil-take chamber, a roof member above the open top ot Jthe V-shaped chamber and means associated with the closed edges of the V-shaped chamber tor withdrawing the non-condensable gases from the condenser.

l2. In al condenser, the combination with a. shell defining a condensing chamber, a nest of cooling tubes traversing said chamber and water boxes at each end of the shell, ot a V-shaped non-condensable-gas ott-take chamber in the lower central portion of the tube nest and having its open top well within the tube nest, a portion ot said cooling tubes traversing the olli-take Chamber, and a longi-Y tudinally extending conduit forming the bottom of the oit-take Chainber and extending` outwardly through a Water boX of the Condenser.

13. In a condenser, the Combination with a shell and tube plates defining a condensing Chamber, a nest of cooling` tubes secured in the tube plates and traversing` said ehaniber, and Water boxes associated with each tube sheet, of an air olf-take Chamber Within the nest ol tubes, a portion o' 'the tubes traversing` the oit-take Chamber, and an otale Conduit leading),h from said ollitalie eh amber and passing` outwardly through a tube sheet and its associated Water box, whereby the temperature and speeiie volume of the air being; withdrawn are reduced.

14, In a condenser, the combination with a shell and tube plates detining a Condensing chamber, a nest ot cooling tubes secured in the tube plates and traersing said Chainber, and Water boxes associated with each tube sheet, of :1n air olif-take Chamber Within the nest of tubes, a portion of the tubes traversing the ot'take ehainber and an ol-take conduit leading from said off-take ehainbei.' and passing outwardly through a tube sheet and its associated water box in such a inanner that the portion of the Conduit Within the Water box is entirely surrounded by Water, whereby the temperature and speeiic Volume of the air being Withdrawn is reduced.

l5. In a condenser, the eonibination with a shell, a nest of Cooling tubes Within the shell and a Water boX at each end of the shell, of an air off-take ohainber Within the shell, means for reducing the temperature and specific yeluine of the air passing through the o'tal-:e chamber, and outlet means for said off-take Chamber so disposed with respect to one of the Water boxes that the air passing through the outlet inf-ans is further reduced in temperature and specific volume.

16. In a condenser the combination With a shell, a nest of cooling` tubes Within the shell and a Waterbox at eaoh end of 'the shell, ot an air off-take ehainber Within the shell, nieans 1for reducing the temperature and speeii'ie volume of the air passing through the oftale chamber and an olf-take conduit extending troni said off-take eha1n ber and traversing` one of said Water boxes? whereby the Cooling Water Within the Water bef: further serves to reduce t le temperature and speeilie volume oit the air being withdrawn. i

Y In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 27th day of May, 1921. t 

